How to travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL

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Travel Information to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA

Distance1849 miles (2983 km)
Available travel modesBus, train or flight
Ticket price range$90 - $123
Cheapest modeFlight • $90 (€81) • 4 h 13 min
Fastest modeFlight • $90 (€81) • 4 h 13 min
Popular travel companiesGreyhound, United or Amtrak

Take a bus, train or flight to travel 1849 miles (2983 km) between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL. The most popular travel companies which serve this trip are Greyhound, United or Amtrak among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus, flight or train from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.

Travel options
from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL

How to get from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

flight

The best way to travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL is by taking a flight because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

Alaska AirlinesAS3490 · AS1478
10:11AM7h42
San Francisco International Airport
07:53PMO'Hare International Airport
$4711One-way
1 transfer

Cheapest

Amtrak6624 AMTRAK · 6 California Zephyr
06:55AM53h44
San Francisco, CA
02:39PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
$4261One-way
1 transfer

Fastest

American AirlinesAA2761
11:18PM4h11
San Francisco International Airport
05:29AMO'Hare International Airport
$5391One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Amtrak5014 AMTRAK · 14 Coast Starlight · 28 Empire Builder
08:50PM65h55
San Francisco, CA
04:45PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
$5781One-way
2 transfers
Amtrak6610 AMTRAK · 710 Gold Runner · 5810 AMTRAK · 4 Southwest Chief
07:00AM53h42
San Francisco, CA
02:42PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
$15501One-way
3 transfers
Greyhoundundefined · undefined · undefined
01:30PM49h45
San Francisco, Transit Center Bay 29
05:15PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
$5291One-way
2 transfers
Greyhoundundefined · undefined · undefined · undefined
01:30PM64h20
San Francisco, Transit Center Bay 29
07:50AMChicago, Union Station (Amtrak), IL
$5251One-way
4 transfers
FlixBusFlixBus+Greyhoundundefined · undefined · undefined
08:20AM54h55
San Francisco, Townsend Street / 5th Street, CA
05:15PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
$6011One-way
3 transfers
Alaska AirlinesAS3310 · AS1478
08:12AM9h41
San Francisco International Airport
07:53PMO'Hare International Airport
$4711One-way
1 transfer
Sun Country AirlinesSY396 · SY259
06:12PM13h45
San Francisco International Airport
09:57AMO'Hare International Airport
$4561One-way
1 transfer
Alaska AirlinesAS571 · AS1478
07:00AM10h53
San Francisco International Airport
07:53PMO'Hare International Airport
$4771One-way
1 transfer

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

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FAQs: Travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL

Travel to Chicago, IL easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.

FAQs

You can get from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL 3 different ways: bus, train or flight.

The cheapest way to travel to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA is a flight with an average price of $90 (€81).

This is compared to other travel options from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:

Taking a flight costs $18 (€16) less than taking a bus, which costs on average $108 (€97) for the same trip.

Taking a flight costs $33 (€30) less than taking a train, which average ticket prices of $123 (€111).

The fastest way to get to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA is by flight with an average travel time of 4 h 13 min.

Other travel options to Chicago, IL take longer:

Bus takes on average 60 h 40 min.

Train takes on average 52 h 50 min.

You should expect to travel around 1849 miles (2983 km) between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL.

The average frequency per day from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL is:

  • 10 buses a day.
  • 44 flights per day.
  • 4 trains a day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your journey between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL as scheduled services by bus, train or flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:

    The following travel companies offer services from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:

    • Greyhound or FlixBus can get you to Chicago, IL by bus. You can find a good deal for bus tickets with Greyhound from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL for $108 (€97) on Omio.
    • Travel with United, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines or Frontier Airlines for flights to Chicago, IL. If you’re looking for a good deal on tickets, check for American Airlines San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL tickets on Omio for $90 (€81).
    • Amtrak can take you to Chicago, IL by train. If searching for a good deal on trains, you can find tickets for Amtrak from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL for $123 (€111).

    Yes, there are direct services available from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL with the following travel companies:

    • 13 direct flights per day with United, Alaska Airlines or American Airlines.

    Direct services tend to save you time and add more convenience in getting you to Chicago, IL as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking your tickets from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.

    Looking to extend your trip from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL? Many Omio customers who go from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL usually extend their vacation to explore other popular destinations like Indianapolis, IN, New York, NY, Milwaukee, WI or Champaign, IL. If you're looking to explore Indianapolis, IN, New York, NY, Milwaukee, WI or Champaign, IL from Chicago, IL, let Omio find you the best connections available at an affordable price.
    HomeTravelTravel to USATravel to Chicago, ILHow to travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL

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